Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you. 2 Thessalonians 1:6
When was the last time you got even with somebody who had done you dirty? I can’t remember, either, although I can remember the last time I wanted to retaliate against an injustice. Of course, such feelings are natural. That’s the trouble, they are natural, they are not spiritual. Our text today says that with God, it is a righteous thing for Him to pay back our enemies. But it is not a righteous thing for us to do so, or even to want to do so. Revenge should never be part of a Christian’s make-up. The little expression, ‘Leave it with the Lord’ is a wise policy when it comes to our response when we are injured, insulted, misrepresented, maligned, or whatever people might do to us.
So why is it a righteous thing for God to take vengeance, but not for us? I think Abraham had the answer to that question when he said, ‘Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?’ You see, when it comes to knowing all of the facts and details of a situation, only God’s understanding is perfect. Only He knows whether that nasty deed was done in ignorance, by mistake, or out of sheer nastiness. We might think we know, but we don’t always get it right. God always gets it right. And He knows how to respond, and when to respond. We may never see what happens to the person who wronged us. But we can safely leave the matter in God’s hands, knowing that He will deal righteously and accurately.
This is a big weight off our shoulders. We don’t ever need to be concerned with retaliation. We can take comfort in knowing that God will handle it.
Do you have enemies, those who trouble you? First, make sure that it is not your fault, second, double-check to make sure that you are not partly to blame, thirdly, triple-check to make sure that your conscience can be totally clear, and fourthly, totally offload the situation onto God and forget about it. You will sleep easier. And you won’t make a horrible mistake. -Jim MacIntosh